Is warlock really a pet clas?

Classes Warlock
1

Because outside of demo, it doesn’t feel like it.

Destro/ afflic have little to no interaction with their pets and their abilities, our pets don’t really have much customization besides like a single alternative skin, and they have no talents to actually use for the individual demons, like say something basic as improved imp.

If you run pets as those specs, it kinda just feel like they’re just set and forget until you need their utility ability, but that ability just feels like the warlocks and not even attached to the pet other then when they’re out of range of a target.

3 Likes
2

Back in ye olden days they very much were a pet class. Though realistically outside of solo play, or very niche interrupt settings, a warlock not running their imp was an idiot.

Todays pets are, generally speaking, useless trash in many ways. Voidwalker barely holds threat, and more often than not just outright fails. Succubus does the best damage, but has the worst ability. Imp does decent damage, has a self purge, but in this age of constant movement is often way out in the middle of the boonies since you’ve had to move so far away due to mechanics. It, thankfully, has a ‘pull to caster’ ability, but that I believe takes a GCD to use.

Felhunter is the one most warlocks will use if forced. It’s damage is worse than Succubus, about on par with imp, and the less we consider the VW on this the better. It’s utility however is situationally amazing to the best thing ever with a kick ability, and the purge can be a godsend if you remember to use it.

Felguard is just outright amazing in comparison to the rest. Doesn’t have a taunt like the VW, but holds threat on ST and MT way better. Far more tankier than the rest, and I’m not certain the VW actually holds up to them in that regard either. Damage just from auto-attack is easily double the output of the Succubus.

However, there is nothing special about pets in general. Hunters have more cosmetic choices in that they can literally tame anything that appeals to them, even if they will effectively play the same as any other pet in their category (Cunning, ect). Talent amps are fairly lack luster for our pets too, the best being the Synergy ability so when it procs you get a damage increase. It works the same in reverse, but with their damage already garbage its barely noticeable, and only if you really look for it. Felguard not withstanding, of course.

Is the Warlock a pet class? Given Blizzard justified it’s recent nerf on a thematic understanding of such, then it is not. The Warlock is a Slaver; We don’t form bonds with our pets like Hunters do, we dominate them, make them dance to our will or die for our pleasure. That’s the thematic truth of Warlocks when it comes to being a ‘pet’ class IMO.

5 Likes
3

Pretty much this. Pets are kind of a relic at this point. They feel like lifeless dead weight that do little to nothing to enhance gameplay or class theme. The fel guard feels pretty alive and significant though. It feels good to have it out, from not only a gameplay standpoint but also a class-identity standpoint.

Warlock pets will probably be another overhaul project in 2 expansions or so. It’s terribly overdue.

Demons SHOULD matter. But right now they don’t. Imo start by making GSacrifice the de facto talent for damage. And then add significant utility to and for the pets.

Do I want to get more mileage out of soul link? Okay then let me whip out the VW, and the expectation there is that he doesn’t have comparable durability to my succubus; do I want to disrupt and control magic eccentric enemies? Okay then I’ll use the felhunter, and the expectation is that it’s spells are a little more impactful against a caster than currently, and also it has some ways to stand its ground against them (give it back magic resistance, let it detect invisibility, etc.). If you want demons to stay as flavor, then give them flavor ffs.

2 Likes
4

With all of the nerfs, our Voidwalker will actually be able to hold aggo now. Only it can’t survive. Almost had a silver lining there. Almost.

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5

used to be… but I think blizzard is trying too hard to make it a pet class.

look at the absolutely terrible change to demo they mage in Legion. I will never touch my favorite spec again and they will never have a spec like MoP demo in the game again and it hurts to know.

The only reason for pets right now is utility (in pvp anyways), they die fast and take a while to summon if they are killed. sac is the go to and has been the go to for a decade now.

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6

You forgot about doomguard

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7

I think I was allowed to summon a doom guard once in my entire WoW play time. If you need the participation of 4 other players, and one of them has to hilariously die to summon it, then it sure as hell can’t be considered a standard pet.

Given how easily the other pets die, I can’t imagine doomguard being much better. How hilarious would a M+ group be if you forced someone to off themselves every time it dies on you? I can see keys bricking from here.

8

I liked Grimoire of Supremacy in Legion, it made your demons feel good again, permanent Doomguard or Infernal. Otherwise yeah your choice is made based on the need of an interrupt or not. Teachings of the Black Harvest has potential, but it’s just not impactful enough to take.

1 Like